Vehicle axle



Bec. 20. 1927.

vA. l. MARCUM VEHICLE AXLEA 2 SheetsgSheet l' F-led June 12. 1924 Ffa/QWl" 2 Hmm 0 De. 2o, 1927; 1,653,114

v A. I.. MARCUM I VEHICLE AXLE Filed June 12. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2IFF/G14.

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Parental Dee` 2o, 1927.

warren STATES PATENT oFFicE.

ARTHURy I. MARCUM, F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, -A'SSIGNOR '.120 EMORYWINSHIP, 0F

. I SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. l

VEHICLE AXLE.

' Application mea :une 12, 1924. serial No. 719,491. f

The invention relatesY to vehicle axles and particularly'to the frontaxles of road vehicles Vwhich are provided with dirigible Wheels.

A11-object of the invention is Ato provide a front axle fora vehiclewhich is of such construction that a standardiaxle. may' bel used invehicles having different springA spreads.

Another'object of the invention is tol provide a front axle in which thespring pad is integral with the spindle supporting fork. f

going will be set forth at length in thev following description, whereI- shall outline in full that form of my inventionwhieh I have selectedfor illustration in the drawings ac companying and forming part of thepresent specification. In said drawings l I' have shown one form of axleembodyinglny in vention, but it is to be understoodthat I do not limitmyself 'to' such form,"since the invention, asset forth in theclaims,.-maybe" enibodied in a plurality of forms.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 vis a side elevatlon of'one end i'of a front' vaxle embodyingmy invention, a pore tion of .the structure being shown in sectionto.disclose the construction. Figure 2 is a cross'sectiontaken on the line2 2 Figure 1.

Figure 3 is atop orplan vview oflthejend f the body 3 of the bracketshown in Figure 2- is preferably semi-cylindrical in form and the springin this construction is secured to of the axle shown in Figure 1'.Figure 4 `is a cross section through an axle showings. modified form 'ofmeans 'for securing the spring to the axle.-

Figure 5 is a` top for plan view -of the modified form of' spring pad'shown in Figure 4 showing the range of adjustment 1n A position of thespring.

Front axles forfmotor vehicles such as vautomobiles and motor trucks,,are lusually formed of a standard: length between the axes of the twowheel carrying spindles at opposite ends of the axle. The spring spread,or the distance between the two springs arranged at the opposite ends-iof the axle, vary 1n dlfl'erent-vehicles, so that it 1s necessary toconstruct a special axle for each makejof vehicle. In accordance with myinventlon, I provide an axle on xrvliieh the sprlng may be 'secured at`variable po sitlons, so that a standard axle may heused in-vehicleshaving `different spring spreads.

This Iaccomplishby rproviding an elongated spring pad extending in thedirection of the .length of the axle and the spring may .be

secured to the pad at any-desirablepoint,

so thatl the distance between the springs may be varied-Within the limitvdetermined by the length of the spring pad. By this arrange.-

ment it is possible to employa standard tread axle la plurality ofvehicles having different spr1ng spreads, thereby permitting amanufacturer to standardize on one form of axle and thereby greatlyreducing the. number of axles which must be ca-rriedin stock.

'The Vaxle of my inventionfone end of i' which is `shown in Figure 1,comprises a bracket 2 usually formedl of steel, having a body Aportion 3which is provided with asocket to receive the end ofl thel axle 4whichis preferably tuibular.l The axle is pressed tightlyinto A the socketand issecure'd to the 'body port1on by 'a' pin ,ejxtending through theaxis andthe body portion. '1"nebod'y .portion is'provided onits uppersurface with a fiat, elongated spring pad 6, which extends -in thedirection` of the length of the axle 4.

greaterlength than the width j gal) vThe pad"`is of of .the .leaf spring7 so thatthe spring may be positioned in 4any desirable position on ofthe axle `of thegsprings 1n the -vehlcle in which the the springpadin'accordance with the spread Xle; is'to be used. The under 'portion ofthe body portion by U-bolts 8 passing around.

clamping plate 9 whichoverlies the spring.

' 'the body portion and extending through the The sprlng-pad 6issmo'othfand the under portion ofi the bodypisv smooth, sothat theAspringandj thebolts ASriniybe arranged in spindle is indicated bytheline 16. The two arms of the fork are preferably disposed above theplane ofthe axle 4, to reduce the height of the vehicle frame, but thisarrange# ment is not essential. The Jfork 12 and the spring pad -6' arepreferably integral so that a portion of the weight ot' the vehicle issustained by the bracket 2. Due to this arrangef prefer to employ boltswhich pass throughv holes in the spring pad, as' 'shown in Figs. t and5. The holes 17 in the spring pad 6 may be drilled at any desired'locationdepending on the spring lspread and due to the length of the.pad the range of spring .spread may vary over a considerable distancewith a standard axlel constructed in accordancewiththis invention. Theholes 17 may be positioned .as shown in Fig. 5, or may be formed in anyother position as indicated by the dotted holes 18, in accordance withthe spring spread of the vehicle.

I claim: 1. A frontv axle for a vehicle including a central section ofcommercial form and two end brackets rigidly secured to said section,

each of said brackets being provided with means to support the spindleof a wheel, andbeing elongated and formed so as to provide anextended`I` surface of uniform conany point along said elongatedportion.

2. A front axle as definedin claim 1 in` which the central section istubular in form.

3. A bracket for securing a wheel and an adjacent spring assembly to anaxle section ofcommereial form consisting of a casting having means toattach it to the spindle of the wheel and provided with a socket tosecure the axle section thereto, and an elongated portion of uniformcontour throughout its length and so formed that the sprmg may besecured at any point along said portion.

4. A front axle for a vehicle comprising a bracket having a sockettherein adapted to receive the axle, a spindle-supporting fork on theend of the bracket, an elongated spring pad integral with the bracketand extending in the direction of the length of the axle, at leaf springof lesser width than the length of the pad whereby the distance betweenthe spring and the spindle axis may be varied and means for securing thespringV to the bracket.

5. A front axle for a vehicle comprising a spindle supporting forkhaving af socketed body portion, an axle fitted into said socketedportion, an elongated spring pad formed on said body portion, thespringr pad extending in the direction of the lengtn of the axle, aspringand means for securing the spring to the axle, theilength of the:pad permitting the spring to be secured thereto at various points,whereby'the distance between the spring and the spindle axis may bevaried.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. I, Y Y

ARTHUR I. MARCUM.

